Update 1/25/2012
Hello Everyone,
I would like to inform you about several exciting developments for Rebuilding to Remain.
First, I am pleased to announce that UN’s Displacement Working Group has asked Rebuilding Alliance to write a case study about our work in Al Aqaba. They want to know what it took to get the Brigadier General to visit.
Second, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC) lawyers went to Al Aqaba on January 3rd and filed petitions in time to meet the January 5th deadline to freeze demolition orders for homes on the outskirts of the town.
Just to clarify, these new demolition orders are not for the homes we are building. Demolition orders were issued for homes on the outskirts of town but, surprisingly, new houses that were recently built in the center of town did not get demolition orders. This is positive news. Since the houses being built in the Rebuilding to Remain program are in the center of town, it gives us hope that they will remain standing. Meanwhile, we’ll do our best to advocate to keep the whole village standing, along with all Palestinian homes in Area C.
Finally, we are excited to announce that a construction company has been chosen for this project.
Please keep your eyes peeled for more updates that we will be sending soon! As always, I would also like to thank you for contributing to Rebuilding to Remain and making this project possible.
Update 12/30/2011
Hello Everyone,
Due to your wonderful support, we successfully launched our program, Rebuild to Remain! Before I say anything else, I want to thank you again for your donation — that made this program possible. I am writing to you as founding donors to convey both good news and challenges… sometimes the good news leads, sometimes the dance begins with a challenge.
Good news: We’ve transferred the first grant of $15,000 to start construction of three homes in our Rebuilding to Remain Program in the Village of Al Aqaba.
Bad News: As construction begins, the risks of demolition get higher.
Good news: Brigadier General Moti Almoz came to meet with Mayor Haj Sami Sadeq (see Appendix below) in a remarkable meeting at Al Aqaba Village.
Bad News: Challenge Coming Up on Jan. 6th. New demolitions orders were issued for 3 homes plus five animal shelters in Al Aqaba Village (not the ones we’re constructing, but others at the outskirts of the village) stating petitions must be filed prior to Jan. 6th when demolitions will begin.
Really Bad News: Al Aqaba is not the only one. According to the U.N. OCHA-oPt, dozens of Palestinian homes in Area C (that 60% of the West Bank solely controlled by Israel) have been issued demolition orders, all with the dates of demolition set for Jan. 6, 2012. In Al Aqaba, the demolition orders have scared 21 people, mostly children. In the region, they impact hundreds of people throughout Area C, again mostly children.
Good News: Lawyers with both Palestinian and Israeli Non-Governmental Organizations are scrambling to file petitions in time to stop these demolitions. UNOCHA and the Displacement Working Group has requested diplomatic assistance at many levels and are in direct contact with the Israeli Army to urge the demolition orders be frozen. Rebuilding Alliance role in this first test under the Rebuilding to Remain Program is to ask our U.S. Senators and Representatives to intervene on our behalf as constituents.
What’s going on?
Despite the current demolition orders, Al Aqaba is planning its future and pressing ahead with plans to build 20 new homes. The first step towards achieving this goal is to hold an architectural design meeting known as a “charrette”, which Al Aqaba is hosting with the help of Rebuilding Alliance in July. This brings together architects, engineers and villagers to create plans for eco-friendly, expandable, and aesthitically pleasing homes for the community that will grow in value over time.
Through this design initiative, Al Aqaba hopes to secure its future and demonstrate that it has a right, like other communities around the world, to issue building permits according to its master plan.
We hope the charrette will raise international awareness of Al Aqaba’s struggle and the similar situations that Palestinian villages across the Jordan Valley face. Palestinians are denied permission to build on land they legally own and the Israeli army continues to demolish homes, roads and other town properties.
Who is participating
- The villagers of Al Aqaba are there to ensure the designs will meet the needs of the community.
- Haj Sami Sadeq, head of the Village Council, has been a tireless advocate for the village. When he was 16, he was shot by an Israeli soldier while tending his fields with his parents and was paralyzed. Despite this incident and the threats of demolition against Al Aqaba, he continues to believe in and work for peace and helped organize the charrette.
- The Rebuilding Alliance’s ties to Al Aqaba go back to 2003 when we raised funds and coordinated the construction of the now famous kindergarten that serves 130 children. Rebuilding Alliance is sponsoring the charrette and will ask your help to raise money for the construction
- Steve Coyle, co-founder of the National Charrette Institute and principal of Town Green, is leading the charrette.
- The 17 foreign embassies, UN agencies and NGOs that have funded projects in Al Aqaba are invited to attend to send a representative and show their support.
- Four time Emmy-nominated filmmaker Maurice Jacobsen will be covering the charrette and posting videos online.
By the end of July the villagers will approve proof of concepts designs so that the architects can finalize all drawings and plans needed to start construction – and the Rebuilding Alliance can begin raising funds to finance it!
Charrette Schedule
